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MY question is I made a nuc 7 days ago, and
am letting them make own queen.can I mate
the new queen by putting it next to the mother hive,from which the eggs came from.
2nd question ;If I put the nuc next to the
mother will the field bees go back to that
hive, before the queen hatches.any help would
be good. thanks

Linwood wrote:
MY question is I made a nuc 7 days ago, and
am letting them make own queen.can I mate
the new queen by putting it next to the mother hive,from which the eggs came from.

Reply:
Yes.Virgin should find her way home to new nuc after mating.

2nd question ;If I put the nuc next to the
mother will the field bees go back to that
hive, before the queen hatches.any help would
be good. thanks

Reply:
Yes, the field bees will go back home leaving only nurse bees that have never flown out side to newly augment to the position of your new nuc. Once keyed into new nuc on first training flights, they will stay with it.

THANKS DEE for reply I thought they would go
back to the old hive,but wasn't sure if it
was okay.I do want the new queen mated beside
the mother hive. So I guess I will take them
down in a day or so. THANKS AGAIN.

I've made splits with queen cells, and always had problems with the field bees going back to the split with the queen, even when they were on the original site. That may just have been my strain, since its not what's 'supposed' to happen.When you say you're letting the nuc 'make' a queen, do you mean you're letting them raise a cell, or merely letting them have a sealed cell? If the former, you may get a poor queen; they normally need to be raised in big colonies which can give them plenty of feeding.

Robert Wrote:
I've made splits with queen cells, and always had problems with the field bees going back to the split with the queen, even when they were on the original site. That may just have been my strain, since its not what's 'supposed' to happen.

Reply:
That is right it's not supposed to happen. But normally does when splits are just made by taking bees and brood and not adjusting for queen rearing.

Most times the old field bees go back home to where they are acclimitized by sun to the old hive and the beekeeper fails to add sufficient nurse bees to the splits to adequately do the job wanted.

Nurse bees haveing never flow yet outside, thus they will stay with the split for duties are seldom put in adequately for cell rearing or brood tending. Beekeepers pulling nucs from strong colonies need to not only pull the 2-3 frames of brood and accompanying bees, but also normally brush the accompanying bees off of additional frames of brood to the new nuc also. But these brood frames are left with the original big colony and are easily replaced as bees emerge there. Not so with the new nuc.

Robert then wrote:
When you say you're letting the nuc 'make' a queen, do you mean you're letting them raise a cell, or merely letting them have a sealed cell? If the former, you may get a poor queen; they normally need to be raised in big colonies which can give them plenty of feeding.

Reply:
Cells raised in nucs with adequate force are very nicely raised and fed. NOrmally it's the beekeeper not tending to proper amounts of worker force for the brood in question that problems arise.

Again from what I am reading here, it looks like a lack of nurse bees being talked about for sufficient division of labor for tending to the brood. Then as new brood emerges in the nuc, the bees then have more capability for expansion with forager force, defense, etc. That is why it is also imperative that adequate pollen and honey be also given with nucs at this time. That way the nurse bees just tend the brood, raise the queen, and get water and gain force as new brood emerges.

Also reason why entrances are closed down so they have less frontal area to guard.

So if I put my nuc next to the mother I loose
my field bees, but will the new queen still
be alright with just the nurse bees and the
new emerging bees? I don't think I got as
many extra bees in the nuc when I made it.
So maybe I should leave it at the location it's at now. Linwood

I forgot to say that I let the bees make a
queen cell them selfs.they do have plenty
of honey and they have been bringing in pollen. I need to make my mind up because I
think the queen cell is going to emerge by
the 11th.
thanks. Linwood

Your nurse bee population are the key to your new queen making it really, not the field bees, but you will need adquate amounts.

If the bees are already flying and bringing in honey and pollen where they are and the queen cell is to emerge very soon, I myself would leave it be, especially if not strong in numbers, for to move it might leave new field force behind where the nuc is now and lessen its strength even more.

Maybe best to wait until queen is mated and laying on 2-3 frames and then move beside mother colony if you want to in a few weeks and be safe then sorry.

Thanks Dee, for the reply I think I'll take
your advice and leave it. I have carniolans
at the location they are at, I am planning
on requeening them.this is the third year
and I have not got any honey from them, maybe the mixed breed will be fine carniolan
and Italian. thanks alot I like this forum
I have learned a lot. THANKS AGAIN
LINWOOD